Hollywood heartthrob Jack Holloway rocked by secret marriage and love child scandal. I dialed my daughter: "You had a baby? Without telling me?" Kelly, on the other end, was sobbing, barely able to breathe: "Mom! I want a divorce!" 1 By the time I arrived at Kelly’s house, the place was already a disaster zone. The nanny had silently locked herself in her room, clearly unwilling to be caught in the crossfire. No one was cleaning up the mess. Jack Holloway sat on the sofa, his face utterly devoid of emotion, watching my daughter hurl objects. Kelly, her voice raw, was practically tearing the place apart. "Nine years, Jack! From your days as a struggling bit player, I was there, unwavering, supporting your every move, bankrolling your struggling years, ensuring you could chase that impossible dream." "My mother absolutely forbade our relationship. I battled her for three agonizing years until she finally relented. I pushed boundaries she never thought I would, going to extreme lengths to make her see that you were the one. Only then, finally defeated, did she agree to open her coffers and propel your career." "All these years – TV shows, movies, singles… What did you ever want to try that our family didn't help you with? How do you think you became an Oscar-winning actor, Jack? Do you honestly have no idea?" "Nine years of my life, my sacrifice, and this is how you repay me?!" After her furious outburst, Kelly could no longer stand. She leaned against the wall, collapsing into gut-wrenching sobs. Jack ran a hand over his face. "Kelly, please, let me explain. It was just that one time, I was drunk, and it was a mistake with her! But she wouldn't terminate the pregnancy, what was I supposed to do?" I stepped through the shattered entrance in my high heels, tossed my designer bag onto the nearest table, and fixed him with an icy glare. "Alright, spill it. What happened?" Kelly rushed into my arms, tears streaming. I patted her back, ushering her to her room. "Go rest, darling. I'll handle Jack." Jack looked utterly repentant in my presence. "Eleanor, I’m so sorry…" Turns out, over a year ago, the very night Jack received his Oscar, his entire team celebrated through the night. Kelly was abroad at the time, deep into her PhD studies, and hadn’t been back to see him for ages. The alcohol, coupled with a long period of loneliness, led him to a regrettable one-night stand with his agent, Ava Miller. Later, terrified of exposure, he gave Ava a substantial sum of money and told her to leave the agency. But to his shock, she turned out to be pregnant. She then secretly gave birth to the child, and a few months later, reappeared with the baby, claiming they were helpless, a single mother and child with nowhere to turn. Out of concern for the infant, Jack kept their existence under wraps for months, quietly supporting them. Finally, a few days ago, the child developed a severe fever from a viral rash that wouldn't break. Last night, the fever escalated into a febrile seizure, requiring an emergency trip to the hospital. Jack, worried sick, snuck in to check on the baby. And that, of course, was when the paparazzi snapped their photos, blowing the whole story wide open. The particular gossip kingpin who broke the story hadn’t even bothered to negotiate. Jack had publicly scorned him on camera once, and his fans had mobbed the guy online. I listened calmly to the entire sordid account, then nodded. "Fine. I’ll have my assistant draft the divorce papers immediately. You and Kelly are done." To my surprise, Jack immediately dropped to his knees. "No, Eleanor! Please, I don't want to divorce Kelly! I truly love her!" 2 An A-list actor, an untouchable idol admired by millions… And this is what he’s reduced to. I’d always known the entertainment industry was a cesspool. That’s why, from the moment Kelly met Jack, I scrutinized him for five years before I even allowed them to get a marriage license. Yet, I remained wary, insisting they keep their marriage private. My biggest fear was a day like this, where my daughter would become a public spectacle. My daughter was born into privilege, coddled and adored for thirty years, sailing through life without a single major setback. But precisely because of this, that hothouse flower had blossomed into a hopelessly romantic fool. One could say Jack Holloway was the only real 'disruption' in her perfectly curated life. And now? The 'secret marriage' is exposed, but the 'wife' they're all clamoring about isn't my Kelly. Kelly, listening from her room, couldn't contain herself. She burst out, eyes still red-rimmed, "Mom…" "I told you long ago, you two aren't suited." I forced myself to maintain a patient tone with my daughter. "You always scoffed at my business connections, claiming the trust-fund babies I introduced were shallow and insufferable. See now? The entertainment industry is nothing but a playground for capital. How high do you truly believe their moral compass extends?" Kelly bit her lip, glaring at me, her eyes filled with resentment. Jack scrambled to defend himself. "No, Eleanor, this was truly just an accident. My feelings for Kelly have never wavered." "It's just… the baby is innocent, after all. That's why I've been so conflicted…" I waved my hand, cutting him off. "Spare me the details. I’m a woman who only cares about results." Just then, the doorbell chimed. This was an upscale gated community; not just anyone could get in. I turned to Jack, my gaze sharp. He frowned, attempting to ignore the persistent chime. But my foolish daughter, bless her heart, couldn't contain herself. She stomped to the door and flung it open. Standing outside was a woman with an innocent face, cradling a baby who looked about six months old. My eyes swept over her, and she immediately dropped to her knees on the doorstep. These people, it seemed, had knees made of rubber; they could kneel without a second thought. "I’m so sorry, Mrs. Hayes! This was all my doing! I seduced Mr. Holloway that night, and I decided to have the baby on my own, and later, it was me who used the child to threaten him! None of this is Mr. Holloway’s fault!" She cried as she spoke, a picture of tearful vulnerability, enough to melt anyone's heart. No wonder Jack couldn't control himself. But… I smiled. "Child, don't rush. Give me a few days, and I promise, I'll ensure the baby's father returns to your side." Jack immediately looked distressed, trying to speak but stopping himself. To my astonishment, Ava gently placed the baby on the doormat, crying as she declared, "Every mistake is mine, all mine! The baby is innocent! Please, I beg you, raise him yourselves! I swear I'll never bother you again!" With that, Ava turned and ran, her desperate figure vanishing down the driveway in a blink. 3 A six-month-old baby, barely able to sit up, and she truly dared to just leave him with strangers. I raised an eyebrow, turning back to my own daughter. Kelly, in her thirty years, had never experienced anything like this. She was stunned, watching the baby flail on the doormat, wailing pitifully. I knew her impeccable upbringing wouldn't permit her to simply abandon a crying infant on the doorstep. Jack, of course, knew this too. He quickly stepped inside, called out the nanny, and instructed her to bring the baby in before he cried himself sick. My headstrong daughter, incredibly, just stood there watching. "Still standing there, Kelly?" I gave her a pointed look. "Mom, I… this…" She stomped her foot in exasperation. Jack seemed about to break the awkward silence, but I cut him off. "Since someone has already brought their love child into your home, aren't you going to pack your things and come with me?" At that, my foolish daughter finally snapped out of it. She fumed, "I don’t even know if these things in the house have been touched by that… person! I’m a clean freak, I can't stand it! I don’t need to pack anything. Mom, let’s go!" I nodded. Not bad. At least she had some backbone left. Though once we were home, she reverted to tearful despair. By the next morning, however, her tears had transformed into a raging inferno. Early that day, as I was having breakfast downstairs, a disheveled but frantic Kelly rushed down from upstairs. "Mom! Look at this!" Kelly slapped her tablet onto the table. I glanced at it. It was a new exposé from Mark Jenkins, the gossip kingpin. The report claimed to have unmasked Oscar-winning Jack Holloway's secret wife: Kelly Hayes, the young heiress of Hayes Group, a brilliant, well-educated socialite who had studied abroad. If I hadn't taken her from that house yesterday, she would surely be surrounded by a barrage of cameras and reporters right now. At that point, even if the child wasn't hers, it would be. She'd be damned if she could ever clear her name. People always preferred to believe the initial reports, to cling to their first impressions. If everyone already believed the child belonged to Kelly and Jack, any clarification from Kelly would only make it worse. By then, a love child could easily be whitewashed into a legitimate heir. I sipped my coffee, a faint smile playing on my lips. "Jack's former agent, Ava. Her tactics are quite something." I met Kelly's bewildered gaze. "They’re not just trying to walk all over you, Kelly. They're trying to force you to swallow their mess." 4 That same day, the Hayes Group's official account released a statement. Three simple words: "No children." Less than half an hour later, comments soared past a hundred thousand. "Fewer words, bigger scandal!" "Please, don’t fall for it. You believe what the paparazzi say? Our 'Jack' probably doesn't even know who this 'heiress' is. Maybe she’s just trying to hype up her family company." "Are you in junior high? Do you know what Hayes Group is? One of the nation's leading corporations! Your 'Jack' isn’t even fit to carry Ms. Hayes's shoes." I paid no mind to these trivial squabbles. Right now, Jack stood before me, his agent’s boss practically groveling. "Mrs. Hayes, you see how this has blown up. It's really unnecessary! After all, Jack and Kelly have been together for so many years…" "Get to the point," I interjected, glancing at my watch, a flicker of impatience in my eyes. My North American regional general manager was due for a negotiation soon, and having them loitering in my office was unseemly. Jack knew my temperament well. If I got truly annoyed, I wouldn’t hesitate to have them physically escorted out. So, he stepped forward, his expression solemn. "Eleanor, I know I messed up. I've already spoken with Ava. I'll send her and the baby abroad, and they'll never be allowed to return. We can say the child is a relative's, and Mark Jenkins' report was a fabrication…" "You can tell that to your fans, they'll believe anything. But what about the Hayes family's reputation?" This boy truly thought our social circles were filled with brainless schoolchildren. Ultimately, I had them ushered out. When I got home, Kelly told me Jack had also contacted her today, promising a litany of concessions. I asked her, "What do you want to do?" "Mom," Kelly covered her eyes, her voice muffled with despair. "I just don't know what to do…" Nine years of a relationship, her first love at that – it wasn't easy to let go, especially for someone so hopelessly romantic. Ultimately, I gave Jack two options. First, retire from acting, move into the Hayes estate, and accept that all future decisions would be made by the Hayes family. Second, divorce, and walk away with nothing. Kelly initially thought I was being too harsh, but I immediately replayed the surveillance video of Ava placing the baby on our doorstep three times. After that, Kelly tacitly accepted my decision. However, the very next day, Jack directly posted his marriage certificate with Kelly online, accompanied by a lengthy, ambiguous, and emotional caption. He effectively cut off all of Kelly’s escape routes. By doing so, he, the principal party, had publicly "confirmed" that the child was indeed his and Kelly's, attempting to create a false image of a happy family of three. What a preemptive strike. He had guts. I never thought he possessed such cunning or audacity. Kelly hadn't expected Jack to do something like that either. She stopped moping at home and rushed to my office, her face a mask of disbelief. "How could he do this?!"
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